London bus strikers say ‘we are not compromising any more’

Arriva North London bus strikers say ‘don’t stew the crew’ (Pic: Guy Smallman)

North London bus drivers are taking the fight to bus company Arriva over conditions that should be ­unacceptable in any workplace.

More than 1,500 Unite union ­members are striking to demand all buses are fitted with air conditioning.

Planned strikes were temporarily suspended last week to ballot members on an offer. But workers rejected it and the strikes are back on.

Some 587 union members across the eight garages voted against, with 501 voting in favour.

On the picket line at Wood Green, a striker told Socialist Worker that proposals included a plan to install air conditioning ahead of summer 2027.

But no precise date was given for when that would be.

“We have been calling for them to do something about the extreme heat—not for days, but for months, years even,” they said.

“Climate change means that this isn’t an issue that’s going away. It’s getting hotter every year.

“They’re saying they’ll fix it by next summer but it’s not good enough.

“We’ve had older people in their eighties getting on buses.

“We tell the company it’s not safe for people to be on buses this hot and they still don’t fix the problem.

“This time we’re saying solve the problems and then we’ll stop striking. Strikes show the strength of our feelings.”

Two days of strikes forced an offer out of Arriva—it shows workers can demonstrate their power from the picket lines.

Another striker who has worked for Arriva for 25 years told Socialist Worker that the recent ballot ­confirms that workers understand the stakes. And they are prepared to act together to protect themselves and their passengers.

He explained that by rejecting the offer, drivers had shown that they will not be pressured into accepting inadequate solutions.

“They make these promises year on year and nothing changes. So we’re not going to sign up to another false promise with no fixed ­commitment for when they plan to fix the ­conditions of the buses.

“Arriva has the money to fix the problem. This is a multi-million pound company we’re talking about. It’s not a small business.

“This dispute is showing them that we are serious and that they are going to have to listen to us,” he said.

“We’re here because the buses are not in a condition that is safe for us to drive or for passengers to use. But there are so many other issues.

“Next we’ll be out over pay,” he said.

Meanwhile, bosses are not feeling the discomfort brought about by heat.

Another striker told Socialist Worker that, a few weeks before going on maternity leave, she had worked in the Arriva offices.

“There was air conditioning in the offices and they have heating for when it gets cold,” she said.

“They are up there while we’re ­sitting in 40 degrees, dripping in sweat. At what point do you say enough is enough?”

She added, “We’re not ­compromising anymore. We want the best offer we can get—and it wasn’t that one.

“That’s why I voted no. Why should we have to wait a year for them to do something about this?”

If Arriva wants the disruption to stop, it should listen to the result of the ballot and give drivers what they are demanding—buses that are safe to drive in, regardless of the ­temperature outside.

Drivers are set to strike until early on Friday this week and have further strike days planned stretching into October.